Contemporary mobile electronic communication devices, such as smartphones or feature phones, permit users to communicate with a service provider over a network. These mobile communication devices are often equipped with a module card that includes an integrated circuit, such as a subscriber identity module (SIM) or a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), held on a removable card commonly referred to as a SIM card. These SIM cards can be transferred between different mobile communications devices, such as smartphones or feature phones. A SIM card may include a unique Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (“ICCID”), International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number, and other security features that are used to identify and authenticate subscribers and their mobile communications devices on wireless communication networks.
The original full-size SIM cards (1FF) were the same size as a credit card (ID-1 format: 85.60 mm×53.98 mm×0.76 mm). Over time as mobile communications devices became more advanced, SIM cards were reduced in size to mini-SIM (2FF), micro-SIM (3FF), and even nano-SIM form (4FF) factors, for example. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical contact 101 of the SIM for each of these SIM card form factors is the same, and thus these smaller SIM card form factors often come embedded in a full size (1FF) ID-1 Format data carrier 100 made of plastic, which includes templates for each form factor 103 (2FF), 105 (3FF), 107 (4FF). In FIG. 1, all of the templates are shown removed from data carrier 100 such that a nano-SIM card comprising form factor 107 and electrical contact 101 for a SIM or UICC is provided. After the desired form factor SIM card is removed from a cutout 104 of data carrier 100 and inserted into a particular mobile communications device, it becomes waste. The flexibility of SIM card is desired by users and wireless service providers, especially in view of the rise of prepaid wireless segment in which users provide their own devices. Given the billions of users of mobile communications devices, it is desirable to reduce this waste by providing an alternative function for the leftover ID-1 format data carriers.
One such alternative function is that the data carrier may be converted into a cradle for holding a mobile communications device. Such an application is particularly useful where the mobile communications device is a smartphone that can be used for viewing video. One example of such a device is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 9,267,638, which includes a form fitting backplate that approximates the size and shape of the electronic device and includes a separate stand member to hold the device in an upright position for viewing video. With the basic form of the ID-1 Format data carrier, however, the size of the card is fixed and there is no structure for a separate stand member. It would be advantageous to provide a mechanism and a method for converting the basic structure of the ID-1 Format data carrier of a fixed size into a cradle for a specific type of mobile communications device.